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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC-CHAD: UN agency assists CAR refugees

NAIROBI, 4 April 2003 (IRIN) - The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Chad said on Wednesday that it was sending the first convoy of relief supplies from the Chadian capital, Ndjamena, to the south of the country to help thousands of refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) who have sought shelter there.

UNHCR estimated that about 30,000 CAR nationals have camped at the CAR-Chad border since the end of February, after fleeing violence in the CAR. It said it now had supplies of plastic sheeting, blankets, mats and kitchen sets to help 15,000 refugees.

Prior to the recent influx, UNHCR had no presence in Chad, having closed its offices more than a year ago due to funding shortages. But since the refugees started arriving from CAR, the agency has re-opened its office in Ndjamena and set up a new office in Gore, southern Chad.

UNHCR emergency workers are in the process of establishing camps for the refugees. "Some of the refugees are living very close to the border – just a few metres away in some cases," said Christine Neveu, the UNHCR senior emergency officer in Chad. "This is our main concern, to move them away from the border."

The UN agency said it was currently looking for sites to build two camps. "Grouping them in camps will make it easier to provide them with food, water and medical services," it noted.

Themes: (IRIN) Refugees/IDPs

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